2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for feeding a continuous slide fastener chain having strips of fabric attached to both sides thereof into a subsequent processing station.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the mass-production of garments, bags, etc. having slide fasteners attached thereto as a closure for openings, it is customary to first sew strips of fabric successively to opposite edges of a continuous slide fastener chain at predetermined intervals. Then, the slide fastener chain with attached fabric strips is fed longitudinally into a subsequent processing station such as a cutting station in which the slide fastener chain is severed transversely between adjacent strips into a succession of slide fasteners of individual lengths. Finally, the fabric strips attached with the slide fasteners are processed or finished into garments, bags, etc. One such known practice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,851.
In this instance, if the fabric strips 5a, 5b attached to the slide fastener chain 4 do not extend over a pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements 3, as shown here in FIG. 10, the slide fastener chain with attached fabric strips 2 is fed smoothly and stably because the interengaged rows of coupling elements 3 slidably received in a complementary guide groove serve as a guide means. However, if the fabric strips 5a, 5b on one or both sides of the slide fastener chain 4 have respective flaps 6, 6a, 6b extending over the coupling elements 3 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is no longer possible to use the coupling elements 3 as a guide means and hence an accurate feeding of the slide fastener chain with attached fabric strips 2 is difficult to perform.
Another known practice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,239, in which trouser fly pieces stitched on opposite edges of a continuous slide fastener and extending over a pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements are folded back away from the coupling elements by upper and lower plows as the slide fastener chain with fly pieces is fed longitudinally into a punching station to form a space devoid of coupling elements. With this folding of the fly pieces, the coupling elements are exposed and hence can be received in and guided along a guide groove extending downstream of the plows. However, since the upper and lower plows are spaced together to form a guide track for the passage therethrough of the slide fastener chain including the folded fly pieces, the fly pieces folded back by the upper and lower plows tend to spring back toward the coupling elements and sometimes overlap and underlap the coupling elements during the feeding of the slide fastener chain. The coupling elements covered with the unbent fly pieces bring about an inaccurate feeding of the slide fastener chain which will result in a working failure at the subsequent punching station.